Just got my Tricker's catalog today!

Hmmmm...how can I describe the size. I'm terrible with measurements. (Although I can pick the EXACT size container you will need for your leftovers - that's my super power!)

I know! I'll find a picture -

OK so the black one at the left is one of those standard plastic lily and lotus pots you can buy at pond stores. It's maybe 18 inches across the top. That one was new last year - beautiful pink and yellow flowers. That one stayed right there all summer. Not the prettiest pot, but the plant was so lovely you really didn't notice!

The other two beige colored ones are about 16 inches across - those are the two that went into the pond. We overwintered those two in the house the first two years. We were waiting for them to get a bit larger as the koi do find lotus root to be very yummy! Once they get aerial leaves they don't bother them anymore for some reason. And you can't see pot number 4 - it's behind that big blue pot in the front. That had a teacup lotus which was also really pretty snow white.

We had a 5th one that never bloomed and ironically was the only one that my daughter bought already potted and growing...and paid about $70 for - she was rather disappointed about that one needless to say. Hopefully it will come back this year and flower for us. All of these are overwintering in the pond this year - we tried it for the first time last year and they all came back, so we won't bother bringing them inside again.

The big blue pot in the front did have lotuses the two years prior, but it got to be too big of a pain to get them out in the fall so we stopped using it for a lotus pot. It was GORGEOUS when it bloomed! That was our first lotus attempt and it was addicting!

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So, you or your daughter raised all of them by seed, and they did better than the one you bought? Is that right? And, do you put them all in the pond so they don't freeze, or didn't you say some of them you leave outside the pond all winter? I have never seen them for sale at any store I've gone to, funny you find them in Northern IL! Anyone know of a reputable place to buy one cheaper than $70 (like $30 or less ... LOL) that is already growing? Maybe I need to check Craigs List this summer.

I got my seeds online the only problem I have is someone comes over for fish that I know and they say what plant is that and I give it to them .Then I start another one .I started 2 in the basement this year

Sissy, tell me the process of growing them from seeds. I have some seeds someone gave me, and I'll try them again, but need to know the particulars to have them succeed after they sprout. I had no trouble sprouting them. However, when I tried to put them outside (maybe it was still too cool?) or plant them in a pot, they died pretty soon after.

Oh, sorry! That was confusing. My daughter found someone on Craigslist who was selling lotus tubers for $5 a piece. This lady had a whole backyard full of them, growing in her pond, pots, trash cans, buckets... she was a real lotus lover. It was kind of a crapshoot what you were going to get as she wasn't what you would call organized! So each of those pots was just one good sized tuber to start. We put those pots right in the pond (on a shelf about 16" deep) all summer and then last year decided to try overwintering a couple in the pond. So those two pots are two year old lotuses and stayed in the pond all winter. We dropped them down a bit so they stay well below the ice. The black pot is a different variety from the same lady and was new last year. She gave her several big tubers in exchange for some pond plants.

The one she paid $70 for she actually found at a nursery near Bloomington-Normal. And the very first lotus she grew cost over $100! It was a gift from her brother - some special variety from somewhere or another. Gorgeous, but tooooo much money! That one died after the pot cracked and all the water seeped out and the tuber froze. We had moved it to the garage - which was a big pain - and it would have been fine had the pot not failed. That was a sad day!

Here's what they look like in the pond - there's so much green here it's hard to see! They are just to the left of the waterfall.

Here they are before we moved them into the pond:

Here's a picture of the first one we grew - the Big Money Lotus. It was beautiful!

I just put them in a glass in my kitchen window and changed the water everyday .They need sun .You have to sand the one end of the seed off .I sand both ends off this way it gives the seed a better chance to sprout because half the time I can't tell which end you are supposed to do

I was going to start a new thread but I saw this one about a catalog. Where I live there are no pond plants to be had but our weather is ready! The Nurseries don't get them until April; way too late. So, do y'all have suggestions of places that you like to shop that give good quality plants this time of year. I ordered on line several years ago and they all died.

What kind of pond plants are you looking for? Some of the members on here divide lilies and other pond plants every year, so some may have them. However, most of us aren't getting into our ponds anytime soon to divide plants. LOL The water is still pretty cold. I'm in zone 6a south central IL. Where are you located, Jo Anne that you are ready for plants already? @sissy I've done that with the seeds, and had them sprout just fine. What I need to know is what do you do with them after they have sprouted? Do you plant them into clay/sand/soil? and do you keep them below water line, I assume? @Lisak1 those are gorgeous, and it looks like they are just in oil pan sized containers. I have several big pots that don't have holes in them, a few that get water/ice and they have not broken. If that was a ceramic pot, that's why it broke if it was where it could freeze. A trick I learned at a little seminar at a landscaping place is to line your ceramic pots with bubble wrap, then add the soil and plants. This way the soil can expand and won't break the pot. So far it has worked well. Those ceramic pots are too heavy to move! I'll be interested to hear how the ones did you put in her pond . And, that pond is gorgeous! OMG, so much attention to detail. My pond just looks ... wild. LOL

If that was a ceramic pot, that's why it broke if it was where it could freeze.

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Actually we had moved it to the garage which was definitely a challenge since it was full of water! But that plant was just too pretty - it was worth the extra effort. Tragically, SOMEONE (ssshhhhh... it was my husband) tapped the pot with the car because he HAD to pull in just a tiny bit farther and that was enough to crack the pot. We didn't notice until the next day and by then the whole thing was a frozen mass. So sad.

This is the second year we've overwintered the lotuses in the pond. As long as they are below the ice, they should be fine.

It seems odd @Jo Anne that your nurseries are so late with plants in your zone (8b per your profile). Seems like they would be prepared for an earlier start. Our nurseries have pond plants by early May in 5B.

But @CountryEscape makes a good suggestion - if you are willing to wait a few weeks, you may find people here willing to share. Or perhaps check your local Craigslist in your area - pond people are just like gardeners... we love to share!

We didn't notice until the next day and by then the whole thing was a frozen mass. So sad.

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So, this last part is why I was thinking it broke because it froze. How did the water not freeze in the garage, but after it drained, the plant froze? Or ... do you simply mean the tuber got colder and without water around it, dried out and died?
Yes, I definitely want to grow lotus! What you have pictures, @Lisak1 is different than what I got in the lakes, probably more "tropical" to a degree, but that's what I want. And, if they will survive in the pond under the ice, I have room! My koi pond has a shelf around the one end that I currently have pond lilies on, but they are not doing near as well as the first years, even though I divided them again last year, so I'm ready to try something new.

What kind of pond plants are you looking for? Some of the members on here divide lilies and other pond plants every year, so some may have them. However, most of us aren't getting into our ponds anytime soon to divide plants. LOL The water is still pretty cold. I'm in zone 6a south central IL. Where are you located, Jo Anne that you are ready for plants already?@sissy I've done that with the seeds, and had them sprout just fine. What I need to know is what do you do with them after they have sprouted? Do you plant them into clay/sand/soil? and do you keep them below water line, I assume?@Lisak1 those are gorgeous, and it looks like they are just in oil pan sized containers. I have several big pots that don't have holes in them, a few that get water/ice and they have not broken. If that was a ceramic pot, that's why it broke if it was where it could freeze. A trick I learned at a little seminar at a landscaping place is to line your ceramic pots with bubble wrap, then add the soil and plants. This way the soil can expand and won't break the pot. So far it has worked well. Those ceramic pots are too heavy to move! I'll be interested to hear how the ones did you put in her pond . And, that pond is gorgeous! OMG, so much attention to detail. My pond just looks ... wild. LOL

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I'm in N. Fla. We're in the low 80s most days now. Mostly something to put in the pond. My Iris' survived the winter and the Papyrus. The Pickle Rush is sprouting and the lilies are fertilized. It sure looks naked.

There was a thin layer of ice on the top, but when the water drained from the pot being cracked, the whole plant mass was exposed and froze overnight. Otherwise the water provides enough insulation to keep them from freezing. You couldn't even tell the water was gone because the ice cap stayed right where it was. It wasn't until we moved the car that we saw all the water and realized we had a problem.

We overwintered several in plastic bags in just enough water to cover the tuber in the house the next year - we have one room that stays nice and cool so we just kept them in there. That worked too, but nothing is easier than just leaving them in the pond. You just need to be able to drop them a deep enough for the winter that they stay below the ice.

I'm in N. Fla. We're in the low 80s most days now. Mostly something to put in the pond. My Iris' survived the winter and the Papyrus. The Pickle Rush is sprouting and the lilies are fertilized. It sure looks naked.

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You live in FL and you're talking about plants that did or didn't survive?! I find that hilarious ... sorry, not meaning any disrespect, but I didn't think there was anything that wouldn't survive your winters. LOL I have "tropicals" that I have to worry about, figuring they would survive the southern states (FL, TX, GA, LA), but not my central IL zone 6a. Good luck finding new plants! I get very few at my local nursery, and when they do have them, they are pretty pricey. I just wish they would carry lotus, but have never seen them.

I'm in N. Fla. We're in the low 80s most days now. Mostly something to put in the pond. My Iris' survived the winter and the Papyrus. The Pickle Rush is sprouting and the lilies are fertilized. It sure looks naked.

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Jo Anne; you could just get some potted annuals (or even perennials) to deco around the pond until your current ones start flourishing. I mean, we don't like seeing any naked ponds here––you know, it's a family friendly place!

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